Icelandic Horses Videos

A video about Icelandic Horses:

Visualization for Riding

"Imagine" How Well You Can Ride!

Dr. Karen helps us understand and use the mind/body connection to improve our riding and our confidence.

Inspirational Quote

"We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate for having taken form so far below ourselves.

And therein do we err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours,

they move finished and complete, gifted with the extension of the senses we have lost or never attained,

living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings: they are other nations,

caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth."

~Henry Beston

Stjarni in Alaska

This picture is from Misty in Alaska:

Stjarni is playing in Granite Creek where it flows into the Matanuska.

Attempts Being Started at Natural Horsemanship in Iceland

Attempts at natural horsemanship are being tried in Iceland with Icelandic Horses.

It takes a while for changes and progress to be made, in regard to the customary traditions of riding the horses; but some people are trying.

This video is described by the owner as "Dangerous Game or Good Leadership?":

Misty in Alaska

Misty, from Alaska, sends this report of her Icelandic Horses:

I took Stjarni to a clinic last week; he did great. On the last day we played horse soccer with one of those great big rubber balls.

Stjarni had never played with one before but he scored every single goal. We finally had to sit out for a while to give the other team a chance to score. When we got back in, Stjarn continued to score every goal. Every goal that was scored while we were in the game was scored by Stjarn. There was a thoroughbred, a couple of arabs, a haflinger and a whole bunch of quarter horses, including a couple of ropers but he smoked them all. Go Icelandics!



Here are a couple of pictures from the parade with Katla and Stassa (known by Duke and Blake as Harold). She was the hit of the show; everyone wanted to pet her and she gladly obliged. As we rode we would split up and work both sides of the street, letting people pet the horses and answering questions.

It was Stjarn's first parade but he handled it like a champ; nothing phased him.

At the very end the parade winds through the parking lot of the Pioneer nursing home. Some of the residents braved the rain to sit on the sidewalk as we went by. One elderly lady in a wheelchair was seated back at the door of the home, quite a ways from the drive.

As I started to go by she reached out a hand and you could just see the longing on her face. I rode Katla up the walk and Stassa put her nose right in the lady's lap. The lady said, "I had a horse when I was young." She was almost in tears as she stroked Stassa. When I turned to go she said, "Thank you, thank you so much." You could just see that she was remembering being young. It was so touching.

I am constantly amazed at how people connect with these little guys and how much good they can do. It really touches my heart.





Icelandic Horse Connection

Diddi's Statement

In a demonstration, Diddi "explained how important it is that we, the Icelandic horse people, do not forget the roots of Icelandic horse riding and do not get lost in our thirst for innovation. Finally at the end of his presentation, he said that we should not learn from foreigners how to ride the Icelandic horse. They should learn from us."

Natural and Artificial Gaits of the Icelandic Horse

Some Icelandic Horses have natural gaits; some do not. Some Icelandic Horses are manipulated into artificial gaits.

Icelandic Horse / Iceland Pony

Here's an old ad for Shetland, Welsh, and Iceland Ponies: